There would appear to be a very real chance that the Duke Blue Devils won’t make the 2021 NCAA Tournament, unless they get some very favorable treatment from the Selection Committee.

Of course, such a thing is possible, since the machinery of college basketball is very Duke-friendly, and CBS wants them on the air. On merit, however, they still have something to prove.

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On Monday night, Duke travels to south Florida to face the Miami Hurricanes, one ACC squad that has even more problems.

Whether it is altogether deserved or not, Mike Krzyzewski is considered a “legend.” Well, will the legend cover the point spread on “Big Monday”?

We have the answer, and you can take advantage at America’s Bookie.

Duke Blue Devils at Miami Hurricanes Preview

Blue Devils vs. Hurricanes Picks

When: 7 PM ET (ESPN)

College Basketball Betting Odds: Duke 10.5, Total 139

Duke (7-5 SU, 4-8 ATS) may not have the best crop of “one-and-done” types this season, and apologists for their lack of success point to the lack of practice time in the summer and before the season. A lot of teams had that dilemma. It should be mentioned, though, that only fourteen of the 357 Division I teams have less overall experience than the Blue Devils.

At least Duke is relatively healthy now that freshman Jalen Johnson has come back from a foot injury. Johnson has shown what he can do, with 24 points and four blocks against Pittsburgh,and 18 points against Georgia Tech.

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The Hurricanes have pulled off upsets over the likes of Louisville and Purdue, but that has been the exception rather than the rule. They have been extremely competitive, losing to Virginia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina by a total of five points. But they have lost four consecutive games, and their last five losses have been by double digits. So they are losing touch.

And that comes with an explanation.

With regard to personnel, Miami (6-10 SU, 8-8 ATS) is a disaster area. They were already without starting forward Sam Waardenburg. But then they lost guard Chris Lykes, a pre-season first-team All-ACC selection, with an ankle injury. Freshman Earl Timberlake is out of action with a bad left shoulder. Matt Cross, another frosh who had become a starter, was tossed from the team, presumably for disciplinary reasons.

And now Isaiah Wong, the team’s best overall player, sprained his ankle in the closing minutes against Wake Forest on Saturday, and most America’s Bookie patrons probably know those things are tough to recover from with a short turnaround time.

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Miami is not all that interested in three-point shooting, and the ‘Canes have some size on their side, but it’s a bit wasted. They have a seven-footer in Nysier Brooks who’s reached double figures in rebounds only twice, and has three blocked shots in the last six games. And 6-11 Australian import Doug Oak is relatively non-productive.

One of the reasons Duke is not all that beaten up is that they had to sit for three weeks during the holidays because of various reasons. They did lose consecutively to Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Louisville, but they’ve shown some life in coming back to beat Georgia Tech and Clemson. And in that game on Saturday against the Tigers, five players scored in double figures, and none of them were named Jalen Johnson or Jordan Goldwire. So some balance is being achieved.

Coach K and his team may yet implode again, but it’s not going to happen on this particular evening, against this particular group.

The Play: DUKE -10.5